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1889 Map of Franklin

Name: 1889 Topographic Map of Franklin
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1889
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1889

About this map

Franklin and the surrounding Norfolk County townships are mapped here in the late nineteenth century, showing a landscape defined by industrial villages and a dense web of rail lines. The Charles River meanders through the central terrain, powering localized industry at spots like City Mills and Rockville. The map captures the transition of the region into a manufacturing and transport hub, with the Woonsocket Division and Franklin Branch railroads connecting numerous small stations and mill hamlets.

Genealogists and local historians can trace the early footprints of settlements such as Unionville, Sheldonville, and Braggville. The southern edge of the sheet follows the Boundary Line shared with Rhode Island, marked by landmarks like Burnt Swamp Corner and Joes Rock. From the heights of Mt Nebo and Rocky Woods to the lowlands around Whiting Pond, the survey documents the intricate nineteenth-century road network that linked these growing Massachusetts communities before the arrival of modern highways.